Petition to combine the categories rejected.
You fail to see the fundamental reason why there are separate categories for non-human nomenclature. I can only kindly attribute it to blissful ignorance borne from having spent your life in the Central Valley, so I will simplify it for you:
You hunt animals.
Monsters hunt you.
— Note from Head Scholar ZuanBing to Scholar Zuma, embedded in the first copy of Creatures of the Night
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Area around the Pyramid (formerly Black, now ???)
Molam nudged Mursa Shang the moment he saw the second set of Sandwurms slithering through the dunes. "Change of plans. We need to merge with the other group."
"And be chased by both swarms of Sandwurms?" Mursa Shang asked incredulously. "What happened to taking refuge in the Pyramid?"
"Situation's changed," Molam said, trying to think. The speed at which the circumstances had changed was giving him a headache. "Why do you think that group left the Black Pyramid? They must have known they were surrounded, but they left regardless. That means staying in the Black Pyramid was worse than being chased by Sandwurms."
"The roar, Mursa," Jyuni added. "Something's in the Black Pyramid." She shuddered. "We can't face a dragon, Mursa. Remember the encounter with EarthShaker?"
Molam said nothing, waiting for Mursa Shang to make a decision. It pained him to divert their path, but he had a few burning questions himself. Why had the other group been at the Pyramid? What had they done to cause the Princess to release that wave of wrath? He couldn't risk walking into her presence without knowing why.
But the danger neared, unfolding in front of their eyes. The Sandwurms undulated over the dunes, chasing the other host of sand sleds. The largest Sandwurm reared up, the five serrated flaps covering its maw spreading wide to reveal a dense layer of razor-sharp teeth lining a gaping gullet, and struck down on the sand sleds straggling at the rear.
Clang.
A large golden barrier had materialized right above the sled to block the monster's gnashing bite, then several extra auric barriers sprang up to block the advance of four more wurms. Two other would-be attackers angled away from the shields, shifting their approach by digging into the Sands.
They're intelligent, thought Molam. He'd read about the rumored intelligence of these particular monsters. The theories were borne from the way the wurms had been created, and the reasons they craved human flesh. But he couldn't afford to linger on that thought. The manifested barriers were more important.
"That has to be the Shield of Oasis!" Molam shouted at the Mursa, hoping this was enough to get the man to change his mind. "Do you need more of a reason now?!"
"Diyah guide me, I don't even know what I’m doing anymore if I'm choosing to be chased by Sandwurms," Mursa Shang muttered, then whistled for his people's attention. "We're changing course to merge with the other group ahead of us. Mursa has spoken." Then, even louder so his voice would travel to the other group, "Shield of Oasis! This is Mursa Shang, here to give you aid!"
The booming voice echoed across the dunes, to no response.
He gave Molam a glare, then spoke in a normal voice, "Why would the Shield of Oasis be retreating from Sandwurms?"
"He must have been injured by the dragon's Domain," Molam replied, but the question had merit. Why was the Shield of Oasis not just killing the monsters? Was the Shield also unable to exert his Domain because of whatever the Princess was doing? For the first time in his life, Molam realized he had no idea what the special properties of the Princess's Domain were. He had other suspicions, but voicing any of them would only result in baseless worrying — and he was already worried enough. "We won't know until we ask him."
"This could have all been avoided if you didn't ask for such a detour," said Mursa Shang darkly, with a hint of accusation.
"I hope you aren't implying I expected something like this," Molam replied with a grim smile.
"No, but your choice got my people into this deadly mess. Now it's become a matter of survival! I don't suppose that brilliant head of yours has anything beyond merging hosts with the Shield of Oasis?"
"Give me control then," Molam said seriously to Mursa Shang. "I can't be effective if I need to wait for you to decide if each action is worth following, can I?"
The Mursa regarded him in a moment of silence, then said to Jyuni, "we need to merge with the Shield's host before this gets out of hand."
"Hyah!" Jyuni flicked the reins, spurring their camels faster. The rest of the caravan's drivers would undoubtedly follow the new speed.
Mursa Shang sat back down, steadying himself against the accelerated pace. "You haven't earned it yet," he finally said to Molam, putting on his mask again. "Just tell me what you think needs to be done and I'll make the call. I have more experience in the Endless Sands."
Molam followed suit, pulling his mask over his mouth and nose. A quick lick of the tongue found his lower lip had split in the brief moments he kept the mask off, and the blood had already dried. He wasn't disappointed at the Mursa's decision; Molam hadn't expected the Mursa to agree, but it would have been more efficient than needing an intermediary to decide what path was worth following.
Truth be told, he agreed that the Mursa was more experienced when it came to dealing with Sandwurms, but a niggling feeling made Molam suspect they were in uncharted territory. They hadn't planned for this madness and he worried it could only get worse.
He looked towards the Black Pyramid again. Or, the soon to be renamed the Golden Pyramid? He still found it difficult to believe the drastic change, given he had seen it from afar when he traveled with Mursa Khan two years ago. The structure had reminded him of a stygian onyx, a tinge darker than the black splotches dotting the surrounding Sands. The change in color and that roar… it must have been the Princess.
But what had happened? Did it have something to do with why the Shield was retreating?
Molam didn’t have time to consider this further, as Jyuni spoke up again, urgency in her voice. "Mursa."
Molam imagined Mursa Shang also recognized the problem as soon as the two of them looked up, eyes taking in the short distance between them and the other group of sand sleds. Jyuni had driven their caravan close at an angle designed to intercept the other group's trajectory, but now their interception course was slightly off. In the time since they'd agreed to merge with the other group, the Shield's group had sped up to stay ahead of the Sandwurms chasing them. At their current trajectory, they would miss the other group of sand sleds and collide with the Sandwurms instead.
The reason for the differing speed was simple: the other group had just a few sleds, carrying very little from what Molam could see. Meanwhile, their caravan was weighed down by precious cargo. The mursashu had slowed down compared to the group they were desperately trying to catch up with.
"The camels won't last at this pace any longer, Mursa," Jyuni reminded them, her voice sounding unnaturally calm. Molam could see what she meant; the two camels pulling their sled were panting, their tongues hanging out of their mouths.
Three of the Sandwurms chasing the other group seemed to realize the mursashu were coming closer. They turned, heads swaying to and fro with closed mouths, apparently deciding between chasing fleeing prey or accepting an oncoming meal. The largest one bellowed, the folds momentarily masking its terrible teeth rippling in anticipation.
That sound sent a wave of anxiety and fear gripping at Molam's throat. He'd miscalculated. The caravan originally had the speed to reach, but he hadn't considered if the other group was capable of speeding up. Why hadn't he considered that? He glanced at the Pyramid to their right, ready to guess the distance. But two more of the monsters had appeared to block that path, apparently drawn over by the commotion from the large one's loud trumpeting.
Mursa Shang's voice boomed next to him, sending his message out to the caravan behind them. "Ready your weapons once you come to a stop! Prepare to defend yourselves!"
Jyuni slackened the reins and grabbed the wooden paddle, jamming it into the sand to guide the sled to the top of a nearby dune. The camels, freed from her control, slowed down to a stop just as they reached the top, looking like they were about to drop. Her other hand reached for her spear, hefting it firmly in her hand. Molam noticed the blade was decorated with an embedded topaz.
"Spear for you?" Jyuni pulled out another spear from the sled, this one plain. "I heard you use a bow, but it's extremely unlikely to aim for the moment they open their mouths. Remember to speak up if you're cut — you'll have ten breaths. There's three healers capable of stopping the poison, but we'll need to get you to Oasis to fully neutralize it."
"Got a shield?" Molam almost laughed at the absurdity of the situation: Sandwurms chasing behind them, turning on them from the direction ahead, and blocking the safe haven they initially meant to go towards. They were fully surrounded. Had the right choice been to head for the Pyramid after all? Would they have even made it before they were cut off?
"This seems hopeless," said Mursa Shang. The man was standing up, index finger drawing golden runes of the Old Tongue into the air. Surprisingly, Molam didn't hear a hint of accusation. His voice, too, was unnaturally calm now, akin to Jyuni’s. He made a pushing motion, sending the glowing pictograms into the sand beneath them. "I can't exert a full Domain because there's a dragon, and we're being chased by sixteen Sandwurms with no solid ground in reach. I don't know if this trickery will pull us through.” Mursa Shang stole a fleeting moment to level a look at him. “I see even you make critical mistakes off the board, Molam."
"Molam!"
He turned around to see Primrose and Kalle securing their sand sled. Primrose carried a spear and Kalle sported a shield. Meera rode beside them, patting her tired camel's neck. Beyond them, the rest of the mursashu pulled up in various forms of determined disarray. Molam knew this wasn't their first encounter with Sandwurms, but none of the stories had described fighting more than four at a time.
"No time!" Jyuni alerted them as she thrust a spear towards Molam, one he certainly did not ask for. Apparently they didn't keep shields on this sled. "They're here!"
The Sandwurms reached the edge of the Mursa's golden Domain, then two dove into the sand. The four that attempted to enter the Domain immediately dropped down to the Sand, spasming against the grains. They roared, their teeth gleaming in the Sun's light. At this distance, Molam could see each individual tooth's razor edge.
"The four in front first!" ordered Mursa Shang. Beads of sweat lined the Mursa's brow. Molam imagined the four monsters in front of them weren't the only ones fighting Mursa Shang's will. The eight behind them must have already caught up, and the only reason they hadn't attacked was because they were also struggling against whatever held them down within the Mursa's Domain.
Sixteen riders galloped forth, their spears held across their laps. Molam spied a large shield with the standard hole in the middle slung across the backs of half of them, the preferred method for contending with a wurm's devastating bite.
"Meera, we're short a spear! We'll need you at the rear!" came a shout from another rider as they galloped past. Meera gave them a curt nod, turning her camel around and whispering words of encouragement at it before looking back at Molam and the others. "Pay attention to the fight in front of you, you may as well learn the process if you ever need to help out! Just remember it's easier when they're forced onto the ground with their mouths in reach!"
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Molam watched her ride after the others to the caravan's rear, then turned his attention back to the riders in front of them just as they neared the struggling monsters. He considered his options for what he could actually do besides watch aimlessly, having already seen this once before when traveling with Mursa Khan. But Mursa Shang was preoccupied, holding down the Sandwurms. No conversation could be had there, as he couldn't risk breaking the man's concentration. Jyuni was barking orders at some of the mursashi or messenger riders. Molam heard something about ensuring certain important sand sleds were kept apart to minimize collateral damage.
Accepting there seemed to be nothing he could actively help with, Molam turned his attention back to the riders engaging the Sandwurms, prepared to answer any questions Kalle or Primrose voiced should they have any. The riders split into teams of four — two shieldbearers and two spearwielders — to each Sandwurm.
The shields approached first, moving in a synchronized formation, their weapons gleaming under the Sun. The monsters roared, evidently frustrated at being held down in place by something they could not bite. Their massive, scaled bodies writhed against the invisible force, sand spraying into the air as they struggled. A shieldbearer hefted his spear, then launched it at the wurm in front of him. They rode up just into reach as the spear bounced off the Sandwurm's thick scales, but it had served its purpose. Extending its head, the Sandwurm opened its cavernous maw at the shieldbearer, who held up his shield right as the creature struck. Despite its mouth being shaded by the rest of its body, Molam caught the glittering of teeth.
A twist of the inner handle caused razor sharp edges to protrude from the shield, easily doubling its radius as the wurm clamped down. It had bitten the shield, but the shield bit back. The monster careened wildly, the flap-lips thrashing in an attempt to dislodge the painful blades embedded in its flesh. Blood, dark and viscous, oozed from the fresh wounds, staining the sand beneath. The shieldbearer had long abandoned his shield, riding away while motioning and shouting at the others of his team.
A spear shot straight for the hole within the shield's center, a precise strike aiming for the weak point within. It disappeared into the vast gullet and the monster screeched, an ear-splitting sound that set Molam's teeth on edge. He winced, the high-pitched wail reverberating in his skull.
But it did not die. The pain only caused it to thrash even harder, its massive body whipping back and forth, creating a frenzy of disturbed sand and blood.
The second spear wielder took careful aim, her eyes narrowed in concentration. The Sandwurm's swaying head made her task infinitely harder. She tracked its movements, waiting for the right moment. When the creature attempted to strike at the riders again, she seized the opportunity. With a swift, practiced motion, she hurled her spear. It flew straight and through, piercing the shield's hole.
The monster careened to the side, its body writhing like a tortured snake. The sound, still painful, seemed to be less enraged and more pitiful in its death throes. Violent convulsions resulted in the tail lashing out unexpectedly, sending two riders off their camels as it shuddered one last time.
Molam took a deep breath, taking stock of the other fights. All four Sandwurms had been taken down at more or less the same time. Good; that meant none of the monsters had witnessed the mursashu’s tactic and lived.
The Mursa's voice boomed out again. "We have six injured, but none were poisoned. See to it that the wounded are cared for. Focus on the remaining fight behind us."
Wait. Molam waved urgently at Mursa Shang, getting his attention. "There were still two more beneath the Sands!"
"Those two are digging downwards," he replied in a curt tone, as though it explained anything, then flinched as a giant roar echoed throughout the dunes. Jyuni and Molam instinctively looked towards the Pyramid, but immediately realized it was coming from a different direction.
A larger shadow loomed from the southeast, slithering quickly towards the rear of the caravan. Molam's stomach dropped at the sight of its size. The others they'd already killed could easily swallow a few camels, but this… this one was large enough to eat two fully laden sand sleds side by side.
"I didn't think Sandwurms grew that big," he muttered, turning to Jyuni and Mursa Shang. Their looks of shock didn't give him any confidence. "I hope you have a bigger shield?"
"They don't normally grow that large." Jyuni tore her eyes away, looking to her mentor. "Mursa? Are we fighting or fleeing?"
"We don't have a shield big enough to fight it," he said in between big gulps of water. "And we can't move right now, our riders are still engaging with the eight behind us. They've encountered some problems."
Unable to fight or flee. Molam's nerves tingled uncomfortably, eyes flickering from Jyuni to Mursa Shang.
"Molam!?" Primrose shouted from the other sand sled, her voice full of nervous urgency. "We have… thirty breaths before that gets here!"
Not enough time. It seemed the Mursa also came to the same conclusion, because he issued a rapid order. "Riders, continue. The rest move ahead, following the Shield's tracks!"
The rest of the mursashu leapt into motion. Though the camels hadn't possibly recovered their energy, the animal handlers soothed them into action faster than Molam thought possible. Jyuni beckoned at Kalle, then pointed at Molam. "That means you too!"
Molam agreed immediately. He had no intention to die here. In less than fifteen breaths, the first sand sled had already passed by him, with the others following in hot pursuit. Kalle drove their sand sled close and Molam leapt from the Mursa's sled over, exchanging a brief nod with Mursa Shang.
Primrose seemed confused about Jyuni not moving the Mursa's sled. "What about —"
Molam interrupted her, shaking his head. "Kalle, drive!"
"Hyah!" Kalle snapped the reins, spurring their camels into motion.
A hungry roar sounded from behind them, echoing off the dunes. Molam glanced behind; it chased forward, this colossal Sandwurm. Its mouth had opened in anticipation, the head likening itself to a five-petaled flower of flesh ringed with teeth, the center interior down its gullet black as night.
When it came close enough, the Mursa shouted again. "Riders — follow!"
At her Mursa's booming order, Jyuni snapped her camel's reins to follow their sand sled.
Molam understood the Mursa's plan of action, even if he wasn't confident in it. Mursa Shang was protecting his people by ensuring he himself was between them and the rest of the Sandwurms, extending the distance between them by maximizing the use of his aura's reach. Moreover, the giant Sandwurm stopped when encountering the carcasses of its kind, seemingly pondering the deaths as the riders dispersed, riding after them. The moment Mursa Shang's golden influence stopped covering the three remaining Sandwurms, they thrashed about and righted themselves again.
Only for the giant Sandwurm to bite down on the pile of dead bodies, catching a live Sandwurm in the process.
"They're cannibals?" Primrose asked, horrified at what she was seeing.
Molam grimaced. It was one thing to read about, but another to see it. "They don't naturally grow their intelligence after turning," he said grimly. "It's more of an… acquisition."
"Eugh," Kalle groaned. "If it comes down to it, please make sure to kill me before leaving me. I can't imagine being added to a putrid pile of—"
Molam clapped his hands to his ears; the roar vibrated throughout his bones to drown out all thought. They all looked behind them again, spotting the giant Sandwurm thrashing about on the dunes, sending clouds of sand flying into the air to fall back down in golden-brown sheets. It fought Mursa Shang's will, screeching angrily at his restraints.
It wasn't exactly contained, but at least it couldn't follow them. If Mursa Shang could continuously pin the monster down to the ground, their entire caravan could get away. Molam looked ahead, noting how their caravan was progressing swiftly in single file, following the lingering tracks left by the other group. The group that had ran.
They had fled. Molam thought about that numbly, vaguely aware that when his thoughts lingered on an issue like this it meant something didn't quite add up. Sandwurms were fearsome, yes. But not for Titled Ones who should be able to easily fight them with their Domain. Even the Mursa, an inherited Title, could keep the monsters in check. He hadn't been able to ask the question until now, but it nagged at him: Shouldn't the Shield of Oasis be more than capable of dealing with these monsters?
So why did the Shield run?
"Mursa!"
Jyuni's alarmed voice blew away Molam's thoughts, just in time for him to turn around and see Mursa Shang swaying unsteadily on the moving sled. He must have been taxed by the additional difficulty of exerting his will without the aid of a Domain. The man's eyes seemed unfocused, and a trail of already drying blood dripped down from his nose. He threatened to topple over off the moving sled, and Jyuni had to drop her reins in order to pull him back.
Another roar of frustration echoed from beyond, and Molam waited for its echoes to die out before speaking, but Primrose shouted before he could speak. "He's not maintaining his aura!"
As though emphasizing Primrose's observation, the remnants of Mursa Shang's aura flickered and fizzled out of existence. Molam had little time to reconsider his over-reliance on the Mursa's ability to restrain the monsters. The giant Sandwurm righted itself, lifting its head as the folds of its mouth rippled thrice, then it gave chase.
The Mursa's sand sled had already driven off course, the camels running without guidance while Jyuni struggled to keep her Mursa from falling off. Uncertain of where to go, the camels had tried turning back to follow the rest of the caravan but pathed over the dunes at an awkward angle, resulting in the Mursa's sand sled pitching dangerously to the side.
Mursa Shang startled back into consciousness with a yelp, flailing his arms wildly to look for a balance that was not there. His movement was the deciding factor; the sand sled tilted over, the reins choking the camels as Jyuni and Mursa Shang flew out of their seats onto the Sands.
Primrose turned just as Molam did. They both shouted out different commands at Kalle, who was stuck between the two of them.
"Go faster!" Primrose urged Kalle. "It's coming!"
"Turn back!" Molam demanded at the same time. "We can't afford to lose the Mursa!"
"I can't do both!" Kalle snapped back, keeping his eyes straight.
Primrose and Molam stared at each other, then Primrose's lips went stubborn. "It's necessary if we're going to survive!"
Molam ignored her, putting his foot on the side of the sand sled. "Not how I do things."
"Sit down!"
Primrose's Charm almost compelled him, but Molam shook it off. Whether it was the feather's protection, the jade talisman, or even his withered soul, he didn't care. She lunged for him just as Molam jumped, her fingers hooking around his arm guard as he leapt onto the Sands, succeeding only in ripping it off his arm.
He'd mistimed his tumble, in part from the angled dune's slope and also the speed at which they had been moving. There was no time to tuck his shoulder in for a roll as he flopped painfully onto his back, wincing as the air left his body. Somewhere nearby, Primrose's voice was shouting something at Kalle, but Molam's thoughts took priority front and center.
We might not reach Oasis without the Mursa. Though Primrose had a point; there was little they could do about the giant Sandwurm, and the situation had somehow dramatically worsened.
How had the situation worsened to such an extent? Molam could have sworn just moments ago, the most important thing he was thinking about was realizing the Black Pyramid was no longer its namesake color. Though he could probably track the individual events leading up to now — as blended as they were — Molam found himself dangerously close to doing the one thing his mentor always cautioned him against: losing sight of what mattered.
His life — their lives mattered, yes. But they were half a day away from Oasis. No Mursa, no Domain, and given how things were going, maybe a string of even more unfortunate problems lay in the immediate future. And even if they somehow reached Oasis — a big, giant "if" — Mursa Shang's caravan would be well within their rights to harbor resentment, and the other two Mursa could potentially use this against him somewhere down the line.
There could be no doubt: the right decision here was to save the Mursa. At least, that's what he was going to tell himself, given that he had no idea what he could do to directly stop a house sized Sandwurm from hunting them down. His gamble had been that Primrose and Kalle would be forced to stop for him.
The ground beneath his back rumbled, bringing Molam out of his thoughts. He grunted as he flopped over, pushing himself off the hot grains of sand. Stumbling to his feet, he looked up to see the giant Sandwurm at a medium distance. Its sheer size made it seem closer than it appeared as it followed the three remaining smaller Sandwurms to chase several riders riding right in front of them. Molam guessed they had opted to distract the monsters, taking a curved path while Mursa Shang and Jyuni tried to untie their camels from the sand sleds. Smart. He guessed Mursa Shang had made the call to abandon most of their cargo, having already stuffed the bag of the more valuable items on the back of a camel. The rest of their cargo lay strewn about on the Sand.
But the most important thing — the Mursa's Domain — was nowhere to be felt or seen. Molam could think of no reason for him to not have extended it again, which meant either Mursa Shang had forgotten about the monsters bearing down on him or he had exhausted his aura. Given the chaos in the vicinity, Molam could only guess it was the latter. Had the Mursa run out of aura because he was holding down too many Sandwurms, including the large one?
"Molam!" The urgency of the shout, coupled with the way the sand sunk beneath his feet caused Molam to look up. He saw Jyuni standing at the edge of a dune looking down at him with a horrified look on her face, throwing a spear directly at him. The spear struck the ground near his legs before he could react, a thick rope attached to its handle. "We need to pull you up!"
Up? That didn't make sense. Molam looked around; he had landed on a slope, no? When did this become a basin?
The slanted edge of the sands began falling down as he sank further, revealing the sharp teeth appearing through the sides of the basin. Somehow, his hand had instinctually gripped onto the rope, and Jyuni barely waited for Molam to wrap it around his wrist before yanking hard on the rope.
I wasn't paying attention, he realized as the teeth closed in around him. Without the Mursa's interference, the two wurms underground found their way back up again. It was so obvious in hindsight.
Molam flew upwards, but Jyuni didn't have the strength to hoist him up in one go. The earth's pull caught him and Molam tried in vain to climb up, but the maw was already shutting on him.
And Primrose still had his bracer.